The global recovered paper market experienced “a quite challenging year” in 2017, according to an expert at paper industry research firm RISI. And those challenges are only expected to continue as Chinese import restrictions ramp up. “The market has been extremely volatile in most of the key regions,” said Hannah Zhao, senior economist and recovered paper specialist for RISI. She...

An overhaul of the federal tax system was signed into law last month, ushering in major changes in how businesses throughout the recycling industry are taxed. At the same time, impacts may be felt at recycling nonprofit groups as some analysts predict declines in charitable giving. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act cuts the corporate tax rate substantially and increases...

Chinese plastics recycling companies are considering processing infrastructure investments in Southeast Asia, the U.S. and elsewhere. The investment interest stems from the Chinese government restrictions on scrap imports. Without the ability to import recovered plastics, companies are looking to process the material in countries that still allow it to be imported, and developed countries that are generating the recyclables. In...

Waste and recycling haulers had slightly fewer fatal workplace injuries in 2016 than the year earlier, according to figures from the federal government. Refuse and recyclable material collectors had 31 fatal on-the-job injuries in 2016, compared with 33 in 2015, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That equated to a fatal work injury rate of 34.1 injuries per 100,000...

A data-driven approach to materials recovery has helped the city of Seattle steadily expand its recycling program to target a wider range of streams. City officials point to data the city collects as a vital part of building support for aggressive diversion goals and initiatives. The collected data has consistently driven the conversation on tackling new material streams. The importance...

A plasma e-scrap furnace malfunction at an Arkansas smelting operation two years ago has spurred a $10.5 million insurance lawsuit against an equipment manufacturer that provided certain components. BlueOak Arkansas, which started up a commercial-scale e-scrap smelting operation at its Osceola, Ark. facility earlier this year, came to an agreement in 2014 with U.K.-based Tetronics to use plasma furnace technology...

The weight of e-scrap generated globally has slowed or even declined in recent years, according to a recently released study. That trend comes even as the combined weight of scrap electronics and electrical appliances has grown substantially. According to the Global E-Waste Monitor, a report released last week, the weight of discarded mobile phones, computers, printers and other small IT...

The federal tax bill that passed Congress this week retains tax incentives and exemptions that could boost the recycling sector. The final bill text was released on Friday, Dec. 15, after several days of negotiations to secure key votes in the House and Senate. The chambers previously approved their own tax bills, both of which contained provisions lauded by groups...

A key unknown during the Congressional tax negotiations was the fate of tax-exempt private activity bonds, which are frequently utilized in the solid waste and recycling industry. They are retained in the final tax bill. Provisions related to the bonds were eliminated in the House proposal but retained in the Senate version. Under the revised bill released on Friday, Dec....

Chinese plastics recycling companies are considering processing infrastructure investments in Southeast Asia, the U.S. and elsewhere. The investment interest stems from the Chinese government restrictions on scrap imports. Without the ability to import recovered plastics, companies are looking to process the material in countries that still allow it to be imported, and developed countries that are generating the recyclables. In...